My public!
We had an interesting week. I am still madly in love with Buffalo and serving here, but not gonna lie we ran into a lot of random issues this week! I don't know. Consequently I've had a LOT on my mind and the week flew by. Each week passes faster and faster I swear.
First item of news: We have two new Elders in our ward! Elder Wilson and Elder Vasquez. They are GREAT! It's nice to have such a big group taking care of the Buffalo ward. This also means our district is up to 8! Look at us go. Sister Thomas and I now live with the Amherst Sisters (Brown & Lee) and it's been way fun! It's different living with 3 instead of one, but I've always liked having roomates so this really isn't any different. It does make it a little harder to focus during study in the morning though :)
Sister Thomas and I spent Easter dinner with a lady in the ward who has been through so much. She's in her 80s now and her husband passed away a few years ago. She and her husband joined the church in their 30s. The thing that kills me is that before she joined the church decades ago her house caught on fire and she lost her two youngest children- both little girls. She says she could hear them screaming as it went down. I don't know all the details, but she did what she could to get to them but wasn't able to reach them before where they were collapsed. Oh one other thing- she's had breast cancer and a stroke since losing her husband. It was a priviledge to be able to help her clean her house and make dinner. Sister Thomas and I both talked about how we really wish we could fix everything that is injust in the world, but then it's probably a good thing that God is in charge instead of us because those lessons are what make us who we are and keep us going along the path. The dinner group was essentially made up of a collection of life's misfits- all single, afflicted, forgotten and scarred. In some ways that even includes Sister Thomas and I ha. How kind they were to want to invite over two young gals. I'm grateful for their courage to make it through the past- they are some of the most Christ-like people I've ever met, and very few people even know their names. It astounded me that their entire focus was based in others. This Easter dinner was really the crowning event in my thought process for the last two weeks: The epitome of humility.
We went to go visit a lady named Deborah who lives downtown who had a stroke about a year ago and had lost movement in the left side of her body. Deborah is the sweetest and most hysterical lady! We came to see her in between sessions of conference on Sunday and she was so sad because she missed the AM session. When we told her there's a PM session she hadn't missed she lit up! She said, "Well what are we waiting for?! Get me dressed wouldja! I need help with mah bra!" bahaha. Sister Thomas got her RN before the mission so she kind of assumed that responsibility haha. At one point Deborah, with her back to me wearing only an adult diaper, turned her head around to say something to me and created a picture in my head that I will never lose. There she stood- a woman in her 60s who had provided for children and grandchildren for years. Now she was completely stripped of pride and needed help fulfilling some of her most basic needs. We had been complete strangers half an hour before, and yet all she was concerned about was looking halfway decent so she could get to hear the words of our modern day prophet, Thomas S. Monson. My heart was touched. Deborah joined the church 4 years ago. What have I ever even gone through? At times I imagine myself afflicted or treated unjustly. But not only can I take care of myself, I can take care of others. As another one of the people we're teaching said (who, I'm sad to say, is speeding towards death in her 50s- she's less than 100 lbs and stands at 5'6") "I have food in the pantry AND in the refrigerator. I have heat. I have a roof over my head and faith in my heart. What else do I need?"
WAY TO BREAK MY HEART, WORLD.
If I ever tear up here in Buffalo it's because I've been touched by those who show me who Christ was in their every action. I am blessed to be in the company of such noble souls who the world leaves untouched. We understand so little about priorities and worth.
Another thought- if nothing else, being on a mission has taught me how to be a better member after my mission! The work here would be so much more effective if the members of the ward would take some responsibility! As missionaries, we try and do whatever we can to help, serve, find and teach. Yet so many people refuse to take an interest in those around them, so as we teach them and bring them to Christ they are left in the dust when we leave. Faith is an incredible thing, but I believe that God works through people. Yes yes He can do whatever He wants- comfort, lead, teach, whatever- but in my limited experience I've seen that the way He prefers to work is through our neighbors, family and friends. If we refuse to step up- step up and serve, love, remember, empathize, consider- we are confounding the work of God.
As for other news...let's see.
-Today we are going to Niagra Falls! So I'll have an update about that next week.
-Some of the missionaries in my district are starting a mini campaign to get me to like onions. Fools!
-I'm getting to the point where I actually like to run again! I don't feel as good when we don't run, and I'm getting better about distance and speed. We kind of...got lost...one morning this week and ended up running between 4 and 6 miles and I still felt pretty good when we got home! I just hope I can keep up the will power to continue to do it when I have a companion who doesn't like to run as much. Fighting people to get them out of bed is not my cup of herbal tea.
-My address for my entire mission will be at 100 Perinton Hills. It's not worth changing the address because I am never really sure when I'm going to move, and the mission office is great about forwarding things. So. Yeah. Same address.
-I've been somewhat considering going into nursing? Obviously I would finish my degree, but still it's been in my head. We'll see. Plenty of time. Maybe I just want to be Alaina.
Ok that's it bye! I hope everyone's Easter was good. Ciao!
Hermana Ray
We had an interesting week. I am still madly in love with Buffalo and serving here, but not gonna lie we ran into a lot of random issues this week! I don't know. Consequently I've had a LOT on my mind and the week flew by. Each week passes faster and faster I swear.
First item of news: We have two new Elders in our ward! Elder Wilson and Elder Vasquez. They are GREAT! It's nice to have such a big group taking care of the Buffalo ward. This also means our district is up to 8! Look at us go. Sister Thomas and I now live with the Amherst Sisters (Brown & Lee) and it's been way fun! It's different living with 3 instead of one, but I've always liked having roomates so this really isn't any different. It does make it a little harder to focus during study in the morning though :)
Sister Thomas and I spent Easter dinner with a lady in the ward who has been through so much. She's in her 80s now and her husband passed away a few years ago. She and her husband joined the church in their 30s. The thing that kills me is that before she joined the church decades ago her house caught on fire and she lost her two youngest children- both little girls. She says she could hear them screaming as it went down. I don't know all the details, but she did what she could to get to them but wasn't able to reach them before where they were collapsed. Oh one other thing- she's had breast cancer and a stroke since losing her husband. It was a priviledge to be able to help her clean her house and make dinner. Sister Thomas and I both talked about how we really wish we could fix everything that is injust in the world, but then it's probably a good thing that God is in charge instead of us because those lessons are what make us who we are and keep us going along the path. The dinner group was essentially made up of a collection of life's misfits- all single, afflicted, forgotten and scarred. In some ways that even includes Sister Thomas and I ha. How kind they were to want to invite over two young gals. I'm grateful for their courage to make it through the past- they are some of the most Christ-like people I've ever met, and very few people even know their names. It astounded me that their entire focus was based in others. This Easter dinner was really the crowning event in my thought process for the last two weeks: The epitome of humility.
We went to go visit a lady named Deborah who lives downtown who had a stroke about a year ago and had lost movement in the left side of her body. Deborah is the sweetest and most hysterical lady! We came to see her in between sessions of conference on Sunday and she was so sad because she missed the AM session. When we told her there's a PM session she hadn't missed she lit up! She said, "Well what are we waiting for?! Get me dressed wouldja! I need help with mah bra!" bahaha. Sister Thomas got her RN before the mission so she kind of assumed that responsibility haha. At one point Deborah, with her back to me wearing only an adult diaper, turned her head around to say something to me and created a picture in my head that I will never lose. There she stood- a woman in her 60s who had provided for children and grandchildren for years. Now she was completely stripped of pride and needed help fulfilling some of her most basic needs. We had been complete strangers half an hour before, and yet all she was concerned about was looking halfway decent so she could get to hear the words of our modern day prophet, Thomas S. Monson. My heart was touched. Deborah joined the church 4 years ago. What have I ever even gone through? At times I imagine myself afflicted or treated unjustly. But not only can I take care of myself, I can take care of others. As another one of the people we're teaching said (who, I'm sad to say, is speeding towards death in her 50s- she's less than 100 lbs and stands at 5'6") "I have food in the pantry AND in the refrigerator. I have heat. I have a roof over my head and faith in my heart. What else do I need?"
WAY TO BREAK MY HEART, WORLD.
If I ever tear up here in Buffalo it's because I've been touched by those who show me who Christ was in their every action. I am blessed to be in the company of such noble souls who the world leaves untouched. We understand so little about priorities and worth.
Another thought- if nothing else, being on a mission has taught me how to be a better member after my mission! The work here would be so much more effective if the members of the ward would take some responsibility! As missionaries, we try and do whatever we can to help, serve, find and teach. Yet so many people refuse to take an interest in those around them, so as we teach them and bring them to Christ they are left in the dust when we leave. Faith is an incredible thing, but I believe that God works through people. Yes yes He can do whatever He wants- comfort, lead, teach, whatever- but in my limited experience I've seen that the way He prefers to work is through our neighbors, family and friends. If we refuse to step up- step up and serve, love, remember, empathize, consider- we are confounding the work of God.
As for other news...let's see.
-Today we are going to Niagra Falls! So I'll have an update about that next week.
-Some of the missionaries in my district are starting a mini campaign to get me to like onions. Fools!
-I'm getting to the point where I actually like to run again! I don't feel as good when we don't run, and I'm getting better about distance and speed. We kind of...got lost...one morning this week and ended up running between 4 and 6 miles and I still felt pretty good when we got home! I just hope I can keep up the will power to continue to do it when I have a companion who doesn't like to run as much. Fighting people to get them out of bed is not my cup of herbal tea.
-My address for my entire mission will be at 100 Perinton Hills. It's not worth changing the address because I am never really sure when I'm going to move, and the mission office is great about forwarding things. So. Yeah. Same address.
-I've been somewhat considering going into nursing? Obviously I would finish my degree, but still it's been in my head. We'll see. Plenty of time. Maybe I just want to be Alaina.
Ok that's it bye! I hope everyone's Easter was good. Ciao!
Hermana Ray
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